The Velez Jungle House

The Jungle House isn’t simply a beautiful tropical garden—it’s a piece of our family history.

     

     In 1962, my parents purchased this brand-new home in what was then a very different part of Westminster. There was no driveway, no sidewalk, and no tropical paradise—just a dirt road and a vision of what could someday be.

 

     My mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico, while my father was born and raised in New York City. He loved the warmth of the tropics and absolutely hated the cold. He discovered that palm trees thrive in the warmer regions of the world, and an idea took root: why not create his own tropical corner right here in Southern California?

It began with just two palm trees, each purchased in a one-gallon container for only 70 cents.

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​     From those humble beginnings, a lifelong passion grew. Through his involvement with the International Palm Society, my father connected with palm enthusiasts from around the world and began collecting seeds from distant places—bringing home the beginnings of a remarkable botanical collection.

 

     Decades later, those tiny seeds and young palms have grown into an extraordinary garden filled with rare palms, exotic plants, lush foliage, and the unmistakable feeling of stepping into another world.

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     The Jungle House is more than a garden. It is a living legacy—planted one palm at a time, lovingly nurtured for more than six decades, and now waiting for you to discover.

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